Monday, June 14, 2010

I mentioned in the comments to the previous item on ICCF Chess that I had begun playing the Queens' Gambit as White after years of Reti/Catalan and London System. I've had good success playing the systems resulting from 1.Nf3 but they had started becoming stale and some of my opponents were zeroing in on my preferences (one emailed me after a game with information to this effect). In looking for a new weapon as White the QG seemed a natural to my tastes so I ran with it despite my aversion to deeply explored openings... The following game finished this morning with a resignation from my opponent.

He chose the Accepted variation and the fight was on. After 14...hxg6 Black's King Side was disrupted and I began exploring the possibility of a Rook lift to exploit the h-file. The game would turn on the mobility of White's Rooks and their threats both on the King Side and threats in the middle game on the c-file. This mobility was made possible by the great amount of space the advanced pawn center gave White.

Clearing the third rank for an eventual Rook lift against Black's weakened King Side.

15...Rad8 16.Rfd1 a6 17.f4 Kh7

A temporary prophylactic against the Rook pressure on the h-file with ...Rh8 to follow.

18.Rd2

Before starting King Side activities I need to counter his pressure against my center.

18...Nd5

I'm not a fan of this move. The resulting exchanges allow White to solidify the strong center and control action on both wings.

19.Nxd5 exd5 20.Rd3

Threatening to complete the Lift and surveying the field via the third rank.

20...Rh8 21.Rc1

Since Black is countering on the King Side, action on the Queen Side via the c-file should fracture his defense.

21...Kg8 22.h3 Qf5 23.Rc3 Qe6

23...Qxc2 might have been a better try. After this the Black Queen is completely defensive while the White Queen attacks using the third rank. The Rooks will have the first and second ranks to use with only a few clearing moves needed. Black's King Rook, castled and then maneuvered back to the h-file, now maneuvers back to the Queen Side at the White Rooks' demonstration on the c-file. Throughout the entire game it seemed as if the Black Rooks were a step or two behind the events. Initiative.

33...Qh6 was probably a mistake. In the end the Black Rooks are marooned on the Queen Side away from the action. If either rook tries to get back via the sixth rank e6 will again cut them off followed by Rh2 and a trapped Black Queen. Black chose not to see the result and resigned.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Back in January I wrote about a guy who was gaming the time controls on the ICCF server. I had claimed a win against him when he was caught in a server outage and had let his time go critical. Hey, if you can't get your ten moves done in fifty days, that's on you, Bud. Exacerbating this is that seems to be this guy's strategy to get easy points. He wears some players down and gets them to agree to a draw.

Well, we were involved in a second game and for whatever reason he did not make his move today. I claimed and was awarded the win.

Karma.

Here are the two games. The first is the one that ended back in January and the second is the one he DQ'd on today.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

So says Nikki Goeser who asked the manager to take down his "No Guns" sign - a sign that does not comply with Tennessee law.

So I walk in this afternoon and look him straight in the eye and say...."Well Sir, the Restaurant Carry Bill passed and is now Law so are ya' gonna take that sign up there on the wall down now?" He said NO. So I told him he has just LOST MY BUSINESS.

Mine, too. And I love Mexican food, having lived on the border in El Paso, Texas and in New Mexico for decades. As Nikki points out, you ARE NOT SAFE at this restaurant if you are defenseless.

Gordon Travis Garrett, of Smyrna, was eating at the Casa Fiesta restaurant located at 1111 Bell Road with his girlfriend and baby when he received a message, which led him to walk outside.Once outside, police said he was approached by a newer model white Ford Mustang and was shot in the parking lot.Customers inside heard the gunfire and called police. Garrett, 26, was taken to Southern Hills Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Steve in Tennessee lives in Nashville with his beautiful wife Lee while co-existing with two dogs and one cat. Among his passions are chess, the NFL Redskins, the MLB Nationals, and exercising his First and Second Amendment Rights.

"Yes, I cling to my faith and my guns, but not bitterly!"

I'm American by birth, Southern by choice, and Texan by the Grace of God. I just happen to live in Tennessee.